Improved cak-teuck



. einen gisten inganni fitte.

.'l'. Q. A. DE HUFF, OF SUMMITVILLE, IOWA.

Letters Patent No. 64,640, dated May 14, 1867.

.IMPROVED CAR-TRUCK.

IO ALL WI-IOM I'I MAY CONCERN:

Re it known that I, J. Q. A. DE IIUFF, of Summitville, in the county ofLeo, and State of Iowa., have invented a new and improved Self-AdjustingCar-Truck; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in theart to make and use the same, reference being had to the acconipanyingdrawings forming part of this specilication, in which" Figure 1 is a topView of a. `ear-track, showing my invention applied to it.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the outside axle-boxes.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the inside axle-boxes.

Similar letters of refereneegindicate corresponding parts.

rIhis invention relates to an improvement on railroad car-trucks, andconsists in arranging each ot the wheels to run on an independent axle,instead of connecting them to run in pairs on the same axle as usual,but while the wheels shall more;indepei'idently of each other on theirown axles, they are so connected and arranged in movable boxestliatiitheyshall act in concert, and in turning curves of a track theaxles will all preserve a position at right angles to the line ofmotion.

The ordinary truck-wheels running in pairs' on the same axle cannotrotate together in passing curves, and consequently drag or slide moreor less, greatly increasing the friction, and retarding motion at theexpense of power, wearing the wheels, and injuring the rails. But if thewheels are aranged to ran independently of each other, according to myimprovement, they will adjust themselves tothe track on both sid andeach wleel will move by its own rotation only and not by slidin,`- ordragging on the rail, and thus it will travel on the centro of the railwithout wearing the flange by excessive friction against the inside edgeot' the rail.v

The general construction oi' car-trucks, with my seliadjustingarrangements applied to them7 similar to those in common use.

A represents the central cross-frame of the car-truck, having fourwheels I3 as usual, all 'hung on separate axles C. The outside journalsof the axles ran in boxes (t, which are cylindrical in form, and pivotedvertically in the sides D of the truck, as clearly shown in sec-tionaldetail iig. 2. "he axles C may thus change their relativo position tothe sides of the trnclifby the rotation of the outside boxes a, whilethey keep at right angles to the line of motion of the wheels in'turnirgcurves ot' a track, as hereinafter described. The inside journals run inboxes l, which are fitted"in slots o in c rved frames or guides E, insuch manner that when the axles C change th'eir position to adapt thewheels to a curve, the boxes I) shall move nach and forth therein. O11both sides of the boxes b stift` spiral .springs Z are set in'the slotse to hold the boxes steady in place, while at the same time they relievethem from the jar of. any sudden and violent movement, as clearly shownin sectional detail in iig. 1 'Ihe curved guide-frames E are united bycross-frames Il', above and below the axles, in which are placedhorizontal cog-wheels or double segments e, that work in racks y, on theoutside of thc movable boxes I, hy which mea-ns, when thewliecls vadaptthemselves to the curve ot` a track, the boxes b will move in oppositedirections in the slots ot' the curved vguides for each pair of wheels,while the axles themselves will continue parallel to each other, andbotlrbe at right angles to the line of motion, as indicated in red linestig. I.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is- 'lhe arrangement of the double coggedsegments e hung in the cross-frame F, between the curved guides E,combined with the springs (Z, slot c, racks y, the boxes b, and the axleC, arranged and Operating substantially and for the purpose described.

J. Q. A. DE IIUFF.

Witnesses: 1f Lewis N. MORGAN,

J. J. BRICE.

